Our dirt byways have a long history of wrecking and then restoring someone’s day…
When Thomas Stevens rode through here 140 years ago, lost on unrideable roads, he found solace in the locals’ strong connection to the outside world. The farmers and their wives all had reading glasses and took great interest in this guy riding his highwheeler around the globe. This culture remains intact. My own introduction came when I was a student: I was kneeling in the ditch by Wheelview Farm fixing a flat when along came the farmer to deliver his Presta floor pump!
In that spirit, I’ll start this vintage series with a story from Gerry, whom many of you have met as a regular volunteer at Ten-Mile Bridge and hosting the start of the Family Ride. Here’s a pic of him on the morning of the 2009 ride:
Dig the road shoes! Ain’t walkin’ Archambo today!!
Gerry writes:
“My ride that year for the 180K was a Waterford Cross bike. Typical of the period and my budget, the bike was cobbled together with a variety of parts, including Campy off-road components, and tubular wheels with Tufo cross tires. On the bumpy Hawley downhill [East Road, which has a bend that the locals call ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ – Ed.], I made a rookie error, and my chain caught in the rear spokes, seriously damaging the wheel. I made it down into Charlemont and up the hill to the rest stop. In spite of help from everyone, the wheel was pretty beat up and not safe to ride much further, especially on D2R2 roads. With no spare wheels, someone suggested checking with Bruce at Zoar Outdoor back in Charlemont. So off I went back down the hill to Zoar.
“I located Bruce, and though he had no solution for my rear wheel, he offered me his old steel bike with triple chain ring and rear rack. After swapping out my pedals and adjusting the seat height, I got back on the road, up the Charlemont climb to the rest stop. [Just to emphasize, that’s twice up the 14% hairpin of Mountain Road and twice up the 18% wall of South Heath Road, for a bonus 1200 feet of vertical! – Ed.] By that time my teammates were long gone.
“While the bike was not a perfect fit, I chugged right along, and much to their surprise, I caught my teammates at the Green River Crib Dam. The rest of the day was great, and with a couple six packs in hand, returned loaner bike to Zoar.
“Great, memorable first D2R2, with lots of help from the community.”
Naturally I reached out to Bruce, and the story only got better. In fact, it wasn’t Bruce’s bike, it was Philip’s! Bruce chuckled, “Presumptuous of me!” Philip unfortunately didn’t have a picture of the bike to share – he sold it to Amber when she went off to college, and the bike met a premature demise between a roof rack and a garage door … After 2000 miles of driving, she forgot the bike was up there, indefatigable but not indestructible!
So there you go, folks: A custom Waterford landed on the disabled list before 10AM, but an ICF world canoe slalom champion offered up his buddy’s old touring clunker as a replacement, and both it and its rider were more than up to the task!
Best, Sandy Coming soon: Just how many repairs has a poor soul had to perform in a single D2R2? And with so many stories of broken bicycles on the hills and stones of Franklin County, can we explore the other extreme and establish a longevity record?
To sign up for this year’s D2R2 – www.bikereg.com/d2r2